Means for promoting plant growth by reflecting light and deflecting water



2,940,219 ECTING June 14, 1960 s. SCHILLER ING PLANT GROWTH B AND DEFLECTING WAT Y REFL ER MEANS FOR PROMOT LIGHT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 14, 1957 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS June 14, 1960 s. SCHILLER 2,940,219

MEANS FOR PROMOTING PLANT GROWTH BY REFLECTING LIGHT AND DEFLECTING WATER Filed March 14, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m/ A 2 INVENTOR 84 a Sckz'llefi ATTORN EYS United States Patent MEANS FOR PROMOTING PLANT GROWTH arg n rgtncmo LIGHT AND DEFLECTING Sigge Schiller, 276 Sylvan St., Rutherford, NJ.

Filed Mar. 14, 1957, Ser. No. 645,956

3 Claims. (CI. 47-32) My invention relates to a means for promoting plant growth.

It is an object of the invention to provide a means for promoting plant growth by reflecting sunlight on to the rows of plants and directing sprinkled water on to the rows rather than between the same.

A more specific object is to provide an improved means for promoting plant growth comprising a sheet to be placed between rows and having a highly reflective outer surface for reflecting the suns rays on to the plant rows and so formed as to direct the water on to the rows of plants.

Another object is to provide an improved means for promoting plant growth comprising a sheet of material in arched form so that the longitudinal edges may rest upon the ground and the intermediate portion between the edges will be raised from the ground so as to form a substitute for a mulch.

A further object is to provide a sheet of material 'to be placed between plant rows and formed transversely into an arch and being sufiiciently flexible so as to be rolled up longitudinally for storage and being 'sufliciently.

resilient to generally spring back into place when unrolled from a roll,

It is still another object to provide an improved means to be placed between plant rows for reflecting the suns rays on to the plants and for covering up the ground surface between rows so as to inhibit evaporation'of water. a

Other objects and various features of novelty and invention will be hereinafter pointed out or will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

Briefly stated, in a preferred form of the invention, I employ a sheet of material having a highly reflective outer surface to be placed between rows of plants and formed into an arch so that only the longitudinal edges touch the ground and the intermediate portion is raised from,

the ground. Similar sheets, in the preferred form, are placed on opposite sides of the row so that both sheets may reflect the suns rays on to the plants in the row and water falling on the arched sheet will be directed on to the plant row rather than between the rows. The covering up of the ground between the rows inhibits the evaporation of moisture from the soil and thus saves frequent watering of the plants and yet provides sufficient moisture at the roots. The arched sheets serve as a substitute for a mulch, inhibit weed growth and evaporation of moisture and permit aeration of the soil.

The sheet or sheets are preferably of composite construction involving a body part of paper, fiber, plastic, wood, or the like, treated, if necessary, with weatherproofing materials and coated on the outside with a highly reflective surface material, preferably in the form of a sheet of highly reflective metal foil, such as aluminum. The sheets are sufiiciently self-sustaining so as to maintain the arched form when placed between the rows, and yet are suthciently flexible in the preferred form, to be rolled up longitudinally for storage. The sheets are also 1 2,940,219 Patented June 14, 1960 2 preferably of fairly resilientcharacter so that they will spring back more orless to the arched shape when unrolled from'a roll. These reflective arched sheets are placed longitudinally between rows and the longitudinal edges approach each other quite closely and the plants are, of course, in the rows between those adjacent edges. In one form, the edges of the sheets may be in contact with each other and there may be slits in one or both of the longitudinal edges of sheets so that the small part between slits may be bent down to make room for a plant stem. The sheets may, of course, be impregnated with insecticides, and the like, to help protect the plants against insect damage. The sheets may be held in place by earth piled on the longitudinal edges, or by wire staples, such as croquet wickets, which would prevent the sheets from blowing away in a high wind.

In the drawings, which show for illustrative purposes only, preferred forms of the invention:

Fig. l is a fragmentary top plan view of my improved means for promoting plant growth, showing the same in place between rows of plants.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the parts shown in Fig. *1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view of one of the improved sheets illustrated above.

Fig. 4 is 'a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale similar to Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is atransverse sectional view through a sheet with a modified configuration.

Fig.- 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing a still further modification.

Fig. 7 is ,a fragmentary view similar to Fig. l, but showing sheets of modified form.

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view in the plane of the line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

As indicated, my means for promoting plant growth consists of sheets 5 which are placed between rows of plants and the longitudinal edges 6 are laid quite close to each other, leaving room,.of course, for the stems of .plants which grow in the row between adjacent sheets 55. These sheets are of arched form, those shown in Figs. 1 to 4 being symmetrically arched, as indicated at 7 and being of generally arcuate form. These sheets are preferably composite sheets formed of a backing material to give body and stifiness to the sheets and cause them to retain the-arched form noted. Such a backing may be paper, fibrous material, plastic, wood or other material, having or treated to have the necessary stiflness and. yet pliability and resiliency for its present use. The material of the backing, ifnot weatherproof, is preferably. treatedv with weather-proofing material, so that the backing material will not deteriorate orrot while in use. The outside of each sheet is highly reflective and, in the preferred form, consists of a sheet of very bright and therefore reflective metal foil, such 'as aluminum foil. These covering sheets will be weatherproof and will serve to reflect some of the suns rays directly on to the plants, as has been indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 2. Since the entire outer surface is reflective, of course other rays will be reflected on to the plants in the ad jacent row from that indicated in Fig. 2. Furthermore, rain water or sprinkled water will run ofl of the arched sheets on to the plants in the rows so that the root structure of the plants will be in moist soil. The soil beneath the arches will be protected and evaporation of water will, of course, be inhibited and thus water will be conserve to reflect some of the suns rays directly on to the sheets are in contact with the ground while the intermediate portions are raised from the ground. These sheets may be held in place by means of soil on the edges or may be held in place by other means, such as wire staples, e.g. croquet wickets.

' bright outer surfaces ontoj' tofore described. It'willbesfeenthat'inall f:

j and oh'c'of 'thesheet's along the edges,

, have rather closely spaced transverse slits y {In all forms of "fi'ciently resilient V to cau e trailing is gra ed ,iiithjeir fiat ai'ched oi'm s ma wh le-1 a m l h? 1 Wh e th ig. *4 shows the composite sh ets thrilled at three sheet cr coatings the outside-'coatifig beinget highly reflective .bfight sheet material, such as aluminum foil.

- 4 stood that various changes may be made within the scope of-the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. In a device for promoting plant growth, a composite multiple-ply sheet of relatively stiff material having an outer covering of highly reflective material, said sheet being readily bendable and being initially bent into the form of an arch transversely so theside edges rest on fin inner stre ts may be of the materials heretofore noted jif'ne cessary. I n p j shown Fig. Tithe sheet is of eradicate-rises,

sheet '9 *is I V me iladisnetsveen rows and water "will be conducted tojitlte plantejcli We, :as heree -idrms heretofore desc ibed, the sl des are piaeedj in reia- 7 tita close are" ty o ea en ether along their longitudinaledges, but s pace'd sufficiently to permit lfbiiiiifor th steihs ofthe plant's grovdng'intherdw; I 7 Inthe form shown in Figs. 7 and 8; the sheets-1.0 have their l'On "mdinn {edges in iceniaet "witheach other or possibly. in overlapping ehgageinettt with each othei', as possibly both,

-1-11 so that the tab iibet'we'en' smsmyee-pushed cw or cut of stranded-mags. Thus; in the for s: wn in Eigs. 7 and 8, the entire ground surface may eov fed, except where the plants project through the-openings noted;

aluminum foil, and all are formed into-Lai'chesfso afsto reflective angles tor reflecting the stirs-rays 01 "re the "plants in the-rows and so n 'tlirectthe-water on to the rows themselves rathe'rtth an b'etiiveen thei'ovvs ofjplan'ts; In 'everycas'e where'it-is d sired to roll up the sheets when" not infuse,"the material is preferably suthfif h' l i 39, l

it the sheets are cut into re -samba; ran-gag ce sarie am ss s at aa ata a "la ely .sheets' may be a,

, m v a a ag ssse mentedmadame detailand'preterred formsfilhisiitrted, is finderthe ground andflthelintermediateportion is off from the ground; said sheet beingde'sig'ned to be substantially in side edge contact with a similar sheet, said' sheet having closely adjacent slitsjin the edge so the material may be bent down to make room for the stem of ,a plant.

' 2. In a'dvice for promoting plant growth, a composite elongated multi-ply sheets of relatively stilt yet bendable material to be aligned with and placed between plant rows, including an outer ply of highly light reflective material, said sheet beingiinitially bent transversely into symmetries! general arch shape to provide a continuously curved reflective outer surface to reflect rays in multiple directions "generally transversely of the sheet at both lateral sides of the arch, 'whereby to reflect light rays from thesun to plants along the side edge of the sheet and regardless of the suns aspect; and to deflect and conduct water falling on the arched surface to plants at-tne side edges ofthe sheet, said sheet having only a single direction of curvature so that the outer elongated edges ther'eot'may have directengagement with the ground.

' bendable material to be, alignedwith andpla'c'ed between the .way to make room tonne stern of a plant "at iany v the invention, the au erjsurraeesafe j of reflective material; "such the sttrface of plant rows, includingan outer sheet of highly reflective metal, said sneet 'bein'g -initially'bentinto a symmetrical single general inch 7 V .rected outer elongated edges adapted todirectlyengage the ground and-to be adjacent the elongated edge of a corresponding adjacent sheet, said multi-ply sheet at one of itsfsaid outer elongated edges having adjacent transverse slits, whereby the material between slits may be displaced so as to form spaces for plants.

I References Cited in the file'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,377,566 Eckart May '10, 1921 1,621,440 Stoddard Mar. 15, 1927 11,883,381 Kerr Oct. 18, .1932 2,030,267 'P-ratt at... Feb. '11, .1936 7 2,740,233 Reynolds.-. Apr. 3, 1 956 FOREIGN TPATENTS- j shape with sharp downwardly di- 

